Karla V. Salazar

Executive Director @Scholarmatch

Founded in 2010 by author Dave Eggers, ScholarMatch’s mission is to support first-generation college students from low-income backgrounds to earn a bachelor’s degree within five years. Today, we serve 1,700 students annually in the San Francisco Bay Area and nationwide. ScholarMatch is supported by a staff of 22, a diverse board of directors, and a committed community of over 400 volunteer college coaches. ScholarMatch’s high impact work has been evaluated by Analytics for Equity, and recognized by the Evergreen National Education Prize. Our program spans 7 years and provides students with holistic support through three key transitions: college access, college persistence, and career launch. Through virtual college access coaching, hands-on persistence mentorship, and strategic financial aid, ScholarMatch students exceed the outcomes of their peers by wide margins: 80% of ScholarMatch students graduate college within 5 years, compared to a national average of 26% for students in their peer group. Key accomplishments in 2022 include:*Stabilizing ScholarMatch and establishing new opportunities with funders, initiatives, and partnerships to further grow the organization (e.g, Genentech partnership to develop a pipeline support program for community college students);*Recruiting key leadership team members (i.e, the Director of Advancement and the Director of Programs and Compliance);*Gaining the trust of the ScholarMatch staff, thereby improving the staff’s engagement and confidence with leadership and the Board;*Implementing new ways to track funds and scholarships to better understand the opportunities to improve ScholarMatch’s financial health;*Reassessing salary policy to ensure equity for ScholarMatch staff; and *Formulating ScholarMatch’s strategic vision and plan.